HRM624 Handouts Lectures 1-45

Lesson 1 INTRODUCTION TO CONFLICT

Quotations

A man's greatest battles are the ones he fights within himself.

Ben Okri (1959 )

Antagonism is a form of struggle within a contradiction, but not the universal form. Mao Zedong (1893 - 1976) Chinese statesman.

with death. Stuart Hampshire (1914 - 2004) British philosopher.

We have met the enemy and it is us. Walt Kelly

Introduction to conflict

Conflict is everywhere. Every relationship has conflict. It exists inside us. It exists around us. It is natural and inevitable part of all human social relationships. It occurs at all levels of society - intrapsychic, interpersonal, intragroup, intergroup, intranational and international (Sandole & Staroste, 1987).

Conflict is ubiquitous at all levels of human social relationships. Some social scientists have given conflict a bad reputation by linking it with psychopathology, social disorder and war (Burton, 1990). Conflict is not deviant or sick behavior. Social scientists need to analyze the level and the type of the conflict in order to understand the phenomenon.

Conflict is largely a perceived phenomenon. It is our perception of the situation that determines if a conflict exists. Conflict may be either healthy or unhealthy. Moreover, it should not be taken as the opposite of order. Though, there is orderliness in conflict yet it can be disorderly.

No two persons in the world are absolutely same or absolutely different. Therefore no two persons can feel or think alike. The difference between thinking of different people causes conflict. The parties in conflict believe they have incompatible goals, and their aim is to neutralize, gain advantage over, injure or destroy one another.

Conflict is the root of personal and social change. Hence, the organizations have conflict because of its ever changing environment. Conflict prevents stagnation. It stimulates interest and curiosity. Conflict management is very popular in business schools. The role of the administrator or a manager in an organization is to handle day to day conflict in the allocation of limited resources.

Definitions

a. Conflict is a state of opposition, disagreement or incompatibility between two or more people or groups of people. b. A state of opposition between persons or ideas or interests.

c. A hostile encounter between two or more people.

d. Conflict is usually based upon a difference over goals, objectives, or expectations between individuals or groups. Conflict also occurs when two or more people, or groups, compete over limited resources and/or perceived, or actual, incompatible goals. e. A hostile encounter between two or more people .

f. The dramatic struggle between the antagonist and the protagonist .

g. An escalated, natural competition between two or more parties about scarce resources, power and prestige (Sandole & Staroste, 1987) .

Interpersonal conflict

An actual or perceived incompatibility of goals between two or more people or entities is termed as interpersonal conflict.

Incompatibility need not be realized by either disputant. It means a conflict may be latent in the sense that it is not recognized by either of the parties.

Incompatibility need not be actual/real. In other words a conflict may be false in the sense that there may not be real incompatibility.

Mixed-Motive Situations

A conflict situation characterized by a combination of contrient and promotive interdependence is called mixed-motive situation. In mixed-motive situations some goals are incompatible, others are complementary. Virtually all conflicts are mixed-motive situations.

Dispute

a. A disagreement or argument about something important

b. When an employer and a trade union representing the employees cannot agree upon the terms and conditions of a collective agreement

c. The Act defines a dispute as including 'any difference'. Whether there is a dispute capable of being referred to adjudication will depend on the circumstances of each case. A dispute might be said to exist where a claim has been made by one organization against another and there has been sufficient time to consider, admit, modify or reject that claim on the basis of reasoned argument. d. Where a customer, having received an explanation, still does not agree with the decision

e. A conflict being expressed outwardly and in which the incompatibility of goals is the main focus

f. A quarrel over a divisive issue such as territory, borders, resources, ideology, etc. with no military aspect. The sides are in disagreement but force is not being considered.

The term dispute implies that the incompatibilities are conscious on the part of at least one of the parties to the conflict and that the incompatibilitiesrather than the complementary goals, interests or needsare uppermost in the minds of those involved in the conflict. Disputes often relate to grievances arising from behavior or events that occurred in the past.

Legal Dispute

A dispute in which some of the contentions can be expressed as a cause of action, or as a defense to a cause of action

Fender-Bender

A collision involving motor vehicles that results in minor damage is called fender bender. In fender bender the disputants have incompatible interests.

Many a times even very careful and sharp drivers happen to meet minor motor car accidents; and the conflicting situation arises. Unnecessary complications can be avoided if one knows how to deal with and react in such circumstances.

Surviving a Fender-Bender

Here are some important tips that every driver must be familiar with.

1. Keep calm
2. Call the police
3. Exchange information
4. Consider your deductible
5. Contact your insurance company
6. Get an estimate and repairs

1. Keep calm

Stay cool and don’t engage in shouting.

2. Call the police

Call the police to report the accident even if it is minor.

3. Exchange information

Write down the following information on a piece of paper.

1. Name, address and phone number of the other driver(s) involved
2. Name and address of car's owner (if different from driver)
3. Location of accident
4. Driver’s license number(s)
5. Year, make and models of car(s) involved
6. License plate numbers
7. Name of automobile insurance company and policy number
8. Names, addresses and phone numbers of any passengers and/witnesses
9. Any damage done to your car or the other car(s) involved

Name of automobile insurance company and policy number

4. Consider your deductible

Your deductible is the amount you have to pay from your own pocket when an insurance claim is filed. For example, if your deductible is Rs.5000, and your car needs Rs.20,000 worth of repairs, you may only receive Rs.15,000 from the insurance company. You're responsible for the first Rs.5000 of any repair.

5. Contact your insurance company

If you and the other driver decide not to pay for your own repairs, contact your insurance company immediately. If you don't report the accident to your insurance company, and the other driver does report it to his or hers, it could work against you if the case ends up in arbitration.

6. Get an estimate and repairs

Take your car to an automotive repair shop and get an estimate for how much it will cost to fix any problems that resulted from the fender bender. Some insurance companies may require two separate estimates from two different repair shops.